Monthly Archives: August 2014

My birthday festivities started on Friday evening with an outlandish shopping spree with Preston and Carly in the suburbs. My parents transferred a ton of money into my bank account in lieu of a gift so I thought I would reward myself with a few new pieces.

I’m not even going to talk about how much I spent, but I found the perfect birthday dress plus a cute matching bra and panty set to wear for Brady after (and a bunch of things I needed for fall).

On Saturday, Carly surprised me with a mani/pedi/facial which was much needed. The spa had complementary champagne so we guzzled down that down while we gossiped. By the time we got out of there it was time to get ready for dinner so we met Preston at my apartment. We took shots (because birthday) and got ready with the music blasting.

Brady and Chris met us at my apartment so we could all taxi to the restaurant.

“You look very nice,” Brady said, following me into my room.

I was tromping around trying to find my clutch and said, “Thanks.”

I finally found it and headed toward the door.

Brady stepped in front of me to stop me from walking out. “Hey, I got you something.”

He handed me a small, white rectangular box. It was very light so I had no idea what it could be.

“Thank you,” I said, hugging him. We pulled apart and kissed briefly so I didn’t get my pink lipstick all over him.

“The cab is here!” Pauly D Preston called from the living room.

I tossed the box on the bed to open later and we headed downstairs. Preston reserved a table at a fancy fusion restaurant and when we got there, there was a bottle of white wine chilling on the table.

Derrick and one of his friends were already there. Ugh. I thought after the big fight we had, he would’ve been too scared to show his face. Apparently not.

“Happy birthday, Reese,” Derrick said, standing up to greet me. He tried to grab me to hug me, but I stepped to the side to avoid him.

“Thanks Derrick!” I said with mock enthusiasm.

His face kind of fell as I walked past him and took my seat at the head of the table. All of our friends were there including two girls I used to work with showed up along with one of Preston’s exes. We had a nice dinner then Preston brought out the most delicious looking chocolate cake that had “Happy Halfway To 50 Reese!” written in pink. I was most offended that he would tempt me with the cake knowing my dress wasn’t going to allow me to have any. Asshole.

After dinner, the five of us plus Derrick and his friend headed to a rooftop to drink. Brady insisted on opening a tab for all of us because it was my birthday and why not? Naturally we started with tequila. I also ordered a beer and a martini and after I finished them, Carly and I took the obligatory trip to the ladies room. I told her how annoyed I was that Derrick showed up and she said that I needed to show him that Brady and I are together because obviously he wasn’t getting the message.

“So, I need to make out with Brady in front of him?” I clarified.

“Yeah, or something. And Brady will enjoy the PDA,” she smiled sinisterly.

We got back out there and found the guys near the bar. Brady and Derrick were standing next to each other which was already uncomfortable enough.

“Heyyy, babe,” I cooed, throwing my whole body into him and then kissing him loudly.

“Hey, do you want another drink?” Brady asked.

I glanced at Derrick to make sure he was watching and he was. I nodded.

“Be right back,” Brady said.

As soon as he walked away, Derrick said, “Are you doing this on purpose?”

I feigned surprise. “Doing what?!”

“You know what, Reese,” he said, looking annoyed.

“I honestly don’t. I’m just trying to enjoy my birthday.”

Derrick was silent for a minute and I glanced behind me to see if Brady was on his way back. I couldn’t see him in the crowd.

“Reese,” Derrick said.

I turned back to look at him and raised my eyebrows as if to say, “Hmm?”

“Reese, I like you.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” I said, dismissively.

“And you know I like you,” he continued. “Does it make you feel good to throw your ‘boyfriend’ in my face? Because I think that’s a real bitch thing to do.”

I felt my face getting hot and my hands balling into fists at my side involuntarily.

“Excuse me?” I said to make sure he wanted to open this can of worms.

“Nothing,” Derrick sighed. “We’re going to go ahead and go. I hope you had a great birthday.”

He signaled his friend and they started to walk away.

“Bye Derrick! Thanks for coming!” I called after him sweetly. Then I remembered him not being able to get it up back in college and started laughing at the irony.

He turned back around and gave me a cold look, obviously catching my joke.

Brady came back with my signature drink – tequila and orange juice – and we met back up with Carly, Preston and Chris to take shots. After that, Brady and I ran off to dance and kiss and flirt and nurse our drinks. We were both super drunk and super horny and really couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

We were headed to the bar to get more drinks (which we didn’t need at all), when someone shrieked “Braaaaaddddyyyyy!”

It wasn’t until a blur of blonde hair flashed in front of me that I realized someone was actually shrieking at Brady. And that someone was the Jessica girl who I met at the charity event. She threw her arms around his neck and held him for three seconds longer than I was okay with. Then pulled away but kept an arm slung on his shoulders. “I didn’t know you were coming here tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s Reese’s birthday,” Brady said.

Jessica looked down at me with that shit eating grin on her face. “Hey. Happy b-day.”

She touched my arm lightly, almost in a pitying way. And who says “b-day” out loud? It was like she was trying to downplay my birthday intentionally.

“You know Kelsey and Rach,” she said motioning toward her two friends standing nearby. They were two plain ass, vanilla white girls just like Jessica.

Brady gave them a head nod and Jessica said, “Reese, we should take a shot for your b-day!”

“We were actually headed to the bar right before you ambushed us,” I deadpanned.

The five of us walked to the bar and Brady ordered us some fruity shot on his tab. It irritated me because he was supposed to be paying for drinks for me and my friends, not this bimbo and her ugly friends.

“Brady, I was telling Kelsey what you told me on Thursday. About the changes to the state board test,” Jessica said.

“Mmm, yes,” he replied and the three of them started talking about tests and licenses and certifications. Brady was being very professional and formal, but Jessica and her drunk friends kept giggling and interrupting and being so obnoxious. Like go away.

Eventually, I got really irritated and walked in between Brady and Jessica to the bar to get a glass of water.

“Well, we’ll let you guys enjoy your night,” I heard Jessica say. “I’ll see you Tuesday.” And as she and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were walking away, I saw her hand graze the side of Brady’s thigh quickly, but deliberately. It was such a subtle action that most people wouldn’t have noticed, but it made my heart speed up and jump to my throat.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” I demanded after they were gone.

Brady looked taken aback. “I don’t know.”

“I just think it’s really weird that she just so happened to be where we are,” I said.

“I mean, this place is quite popular. Look at how packed it is.”

I didn’t bother looking around as I felt hot tears forming in my eyes.

“I can’t believe she’s here. She ruined my birthday!” I cried.

“Baby,” Brady said gently and put an arm around me pulling me close. He had never called me that ever nor do I like being called pet names. Usually. His soothing tone and affection was actually exactly what I needed.

He kissed my forehead and held me right there for a few moments. “Reese, it’s okay.”

“I want to go home,” I sniffled.

“Okay. Let’s go tell our friends we’re leaving.”

Brady and I walked around until we found Carly, Chris and Preston huddled by the bar.

“Well, that fugly girl Brady works with is here and she fucking touched his thigh and said ‘happy b-day’ to me,” I hissed.

“She touched his thigh?” Preston exclaimed.

“Shh!” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Brady hadn’t heard. I wanted to confront him about it, but not right there.

Brady and I were walking away when Preston shouted, “Love you, Reesie Cup! Have a ton of birthday sex tonight!”

Brady turned and waved before we went outside and got a cab. Brady gave the cabbie his address and paid the man when we got out. When we got inside I immediately started getting undressed in the living room.

“Do you want water?” Brady asked, heading toward the kitchen. I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. He returned a moment later with two water bottles and sat one in front of me. He fell onto the couch beside me.

I took a long gulp of water then turned to Brady. “Take off your clothes.”

He didn’t even hesitate before pulling his shirt over his head and unbuckling his jeans. I reached over and pumped him a few times before climbing on.

I began bouncing up and down really hard while simultaneously sucking his neck and chest. He threw his head back and I continued sucking hard, purposefully trying to leave marks. I was crashing down on his dick too with force, like I was trying to prove to him and Jessica that he’s mine.

Brady squeezed my butt tight and tried to pull me off as his body tensed up. But I kept going until he grunted and relaxed. I could already see a swollen hickey forming on the side of his neck. Perfect.

“Wow,” he sighed, completely out of breath even though he really didn’t do anything.

I smiled at my accomplishment. We gathered our clothes and went to his room to get in bed.

“I’m sorry you didn’t have a good birthday,” he said once we were settled and laying side by side.

“It was okay,” I replied. Besides the whole Jessica ordeal and the fact that my best friend couldn’t make it, I’d had fun.

“Reese,” Brady put a hand on my naked waist. “I really like you.”

I beamed. Even though Derrick had uttered those exact words just hours before, it felt so much better coming from Brady.

“You’re amazing. I think I’m falling for you.”

I’ve never had a guy tell me they were falling for me and honestly, what does that even mean? I looked at Brady and his eyes were barely open, just small slits. He was obviously seconds away from passing out.

We woke up just before noon and I had a massive headache and a dry mouth. It could’ve been way worse though. Two points for Drunk Reese.

“Morning,” Brady said, turning toward me.

We kissed and then decided to shower to wash the club/bar filth off us. Obviously this turned into slippery shower sex and then he scrubbed me clean.

We got out and wrapped up in towels and I complained that I still felt like shit. My tummy was doing some crazy acrobatics.

“Give me a second. I’ll make you something that’ll fix everything,” Brady said. He threw on a pair of sweats and disappeared into the hallway.

I put on a t-shirt and some shorts and waited several minutes for Brady to come back. When he finally did, he had two glasses filled with an orangey liquid.

“This stuff works. I used to make it for the guys at the house all the time,” he said.

I grabbed a glass from him and asked, “What house?”

I took a sip of the drink. It tasted like orange juice, but I could also taste a hint of cilantro and carrot so it was really yummy and fresh. It burned a little bit going down so I could tell it was spiked with tequila.

“The fraternity house,” Brady said.

“You were in a fraternity?” I asked, surprised. Brady never, ever mentioned being in a fraternity to me. But that explained why he is so good at partying.

“Uh, yeah. Didn’t we talk about that?”

I shook my head. “Never. I had no idea.”

We finished our drinks and Brady stood up to collect our glasses.

“Hey, my parents are going to be in the city tomorrow. Do you want to meet them?” he asked.

Brady must have saw how wide my eyes got because he quickly said, “It’s not a big deal. They’re going to a yacht party and wanted us to come. They’re cool.”

I waited a full thirty seconds before saying, “Okay.”

I don’t know what to expect from Brady’s parents. I know that they are pretty important people, but other than that nothing. I’m usually really good with parents (Kendra’s folks adore me), but what if they think I’m stupid and hate me?

Kendra showed up to happy hour late with John in tow on Wednesday and I was really annoyed. Happy hour is our chance to talk about guys, not hang out with them. The three of us got tapas and beer and started talking. Well, the two of them did. They started talking about people I don’t know so I pretended to be listening for a little while then I pulled out my phone and started texting. I decided that since apparently we were inviting our men to happy hour I was going to invite Brady too. He said that he was wrapping up a few last minute things but he would be there in thirty to forty five minutes. I love how accessible he is sometimes.

Just when I was considering gouging my eyes out with a fork, Brady showed up. I squealed and threw my arms around him when he showed up next to our table. We had just seen each other the day before, but whatever.

“Hi Brady,” Kendra said as he sat down.

It occurred to me that Kendra and Brady actually haven’t had much interaction except drunken bar nights.

Brady ordered a beer and we all started talking. Brady and John started talking about their jobs since they both work in hospitals. They were off in their own little world and I couldn’t break Brady away. I wanted to tell him how well a meeting went at work, but whenever I tried to pull him away from his new boyfriend, he would turn and smile and pat my knee like I’m some sort of impatient child.

Finally I excused myself to go to the restroom and dragged Kendra with me.

“Well, it’s super inconsiderate that John is talking his ear off and I haven’t even had a chance to tell him about my day,” I said.

“Honestly, you should be happy they are getting along and you can bring Brady around your friends. We can do triple dates with Carly and Chris!” she enthused.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “I don’t want to do triple dates with y’all. I’m an adult.”

“You’re such a fucking brat, Reese,” she said and walked out of the bathroom.

The evening went on and Brady and John became instant BFFs. I was irritated, but I did enjoy seeing Brady talk to someone who is on his same wavelength and can talk with him about glucosamine and the metabolization of alcohol. It was pretty cute hearing him talk like that.

After happy hour, Brady came over. I dug out my pack of birthday cake Oreos and we sat on the couch eating them and watching Teen Mom 2. I finally got a chance to tell Brady about the exciting meeting and what I’ve been doing at work.

“I really like how passionate you are about your work,” he said.

When he said that I realized that work is the only thing I am really passionate about. Well that and drinking. Brady is passionate about his work too, but he also likes to run (he told me he’s running a marathon in a few months. Didn’t invite me though, surprise!), and travel to other countries to help people, and other things that make him an all around good person. I really need to get some hobbies.

On Thursday, I had a meeting with a watercolor artist who I found on Pinterest/Etsy. I thought her paintings would be super cute in thick white frames and also printed on pillows. The girl was kind of greasy and smelled odd and was only interested in how much money she could make. I mean, I get it, but it just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

After work, I went to Brady’s. Can you believe I’m not tired of him yet? We’ve hung out everyday for the past few weeks. I’m pretty sure this is some kind of record. Chris was at work so Brady and I made drinks (ice, tequila, splash of Sprite, lime) and watched a movie in the basement. Brady made us each another cup after we finished and at that point I was pretty tipsy. We decided to play a drinking card game with our new drinks and as you can probably expect, I lost badly.

“Fuck this game,” I said, swiping the table so all the cards went flying.

Brady smirked at me with low eyes. “Poor sport.”

I flicked him off and went to the wet bar to make another drink.

“Get better at card games then you won’t have to worry about losing,” he called from the couch.

I tossed a piece of ice at him and hit him right in the back of the head. Before I could celebrate my victory, Brady was up and barreling toward me. I screamed and ran, but he caught me by my shirt and yanked me back. He pushed me against the granite counter so my back was to him.

“You want to play with ice, huh?” he taunted.

I felt a cold ice cube on the middle of my back and I shrieked. Brady ran it up my spine and stopped at the back of my neck. I was shivering and squealing involuntarily and trying to slip away, but Brady had me pinned with his body.

“Let me go,” I whined just as he rolled the ice cube down my lower back.

“What? You are the one who wanted to do this,” he said innocently.

I reached behind me to try to claw him away, but Brady grabbed my wrist hard and slammed it back on the counter. He leaned down and kissed my neck really softly despite him trying to break my wrist just seconds before.

I let out some sort of moan/grunt and realized I was really, really turned on. I love aggressive Drunk Brady.

“Are you going to apologize?” he asked.

I didn’t know if apologizing would make it stop and I didn’t know if I even wanted it to so I didn’t say anything.

Brady put another cold cube on the back of my neck and kept it in the same spot until it started to drip down and make me numb. He leaned down and licked the dripping water up and started sucking my neck. He pushed his hips into me so I could feel his boner. Literally almost orgasmed right there.

“Just say you’re sorry, Reese,” he said in my ear as he ran another ice cube down my back.

Between his weight pushing me against the counter, the sensation of the cold ice cube and the fact that I was so turned on, I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

When I didn’t say anything, Brady pulled my shorts down and put an ice cube on my butt cheek. I couldn’t help giggling.

“I’m…sorry,” I finally gasped.

“Are you?”

I heard his belt and then he rammed into me and started thrusting hard, a lot harder than usual, but I liked it. He grabbed a fistful of my hair with one hand and used the other to steady my hip while he plowed into me. Brady was going so much harder than usual like he was genuinely mad at me for throwing ice at him.

After that, we got dressed and fell asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up until the morning.

I decided to tell my mother about my new car first then maybe she could break the news gently to my dad and soften the blow. She demanded I send her pictures immediately and then proceeded to obsess over how cute and perfect for her it was. She’s so crazy.

Right after we hung up, my dad called.

“You decided against the Altima, doll?” he asked.

“Yeah, they didn’t have what I wanted in stock. I just really feel like this car is perfect for my lifestyle. It’ll be good in the winter and the black will easy to be able to keep clean,” I over-explained myself.

“That’s great. I’m not even going to ask how much your insurance premium is, but you work very hard. You deserve it,” he said.

I couldn’t help smiling. My dad is so cute.

On Monday we had a meeting with some potential new investors at work. They wanted to know what direction the company is going in so I gave a really good thirty minute presentation about all the projects I’m working on. Afterwards, they asked a ton of questions so I think they really liked it. They met with Dave and Diana privately after that and I haven’t heard anything since. I hope it went good.

Brady called when he got off work to invite me over and I told him that I would meet him there. I have a car now I don’t need to rely on other people for rides.

When I got there Brady had his little work station set up in the dining room which was kind of annoying because he’s the one who invited me over.

“So how was your day?” I asked, sitting on the dining room table.

“Good. I just have a few things to finish up quickly,” Brady said as he sat back down in front of his laptop. I know he said he’s not a workaholic, but I’m beginning to think otherwise.

I sat there playing on my phone for a few minutes then I decided to go wait for Brady in his room naked. I wasn’t even halfway down the hallway when I heard Brady’s footsteps behind me. He grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’ll wait for you in your room,” I said.

Instead of saying anything back, he pushed me against the wall and started kissing me. His aggressiveness was so hot and I smiled even though we were making out.

“I guess you’re finished with work?” I said, pulling away.

He mumbled something, grabbed my shoulders and steered me into his bedroom. I turned around laughing and pulled him on top of me on the bed. Brady reached down and pulled my shirt over my head then hastily pulled my yoga pants and underwear down at once. He dipped down and ran his tongue down my tummy just below my belly button. He began kissing me everywhere except where I needed him to and it was agonizing. Apparently I’m not the only tease.

Finally he plunged his tongue into me and started working his magic. He persisted on, with much more dominance than normal, until I came hard. He stood up and reached into his night table and held up a foil condom packet proudly. After he slipped it on, he fucked me senseless. But instead of just thrusting in and out, Brady reached down between us and used his thumb to gently rub me. What a sensation.

Afterwards we climbed into bed, exhausted.

“You’re really different than any girl I’ve ever dated,” Brady said out of the blue.

“Mmhm. How so?” I asked, still a bit dazed.

“Just everything about you. Your attitude. The way you carry yourself. The way you talk. It is a quite refreshing change though. I enjoy your company,” he said.

I smiled at how politically correct it all sounded. Only he could make compliments sound like he was reviewing my qualifications for a job.

I have never been called laidback in my life and I don’t know if it’s a compliment or not. Maybe Brady doesn’t really know me after all.

We fell asleep sometime after that and I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I got back in bed and checked my email, Facebook and Pinterest for a few minutes. Then I felt Brady wrap his arms around me and press me against his body. He was hard.

Without a word, he started kissing my neck and rubbing my pussy simultaneously. And then he slowly entered me from behind while still kissing my neck. Spooning sex.

I never thought Brady and I would have such good sexcapades, but I am loving every second of it.

I’m sort of a part of Brady’s routine now – he works for twelve hours, calls me when he gets off and we have a slumber party. We have it at my house or his, depending on how tired he is, but usually his place. I spent the night on Thursday and Friday and on Saturday morning, Brady woke up and brought me homemade breakfast in bed. It was only waffles and fruit, but still. How fucking sweet?

“Where’s my mimosa?” I couldn’t help asking as I shoveled fruit in my mouth.

“Coming right up,” he said and disappeared. He came back shortly with a glass of bubbly orange juice.

“I was kidding,” I said, but secretly I was really grateful for that mimosa.

When I was almost finished eating, Brady asked what I had planned for the day.

“I’m buying a car!” I said excitedly. I remembered that Kendra was supposed to pick me up at 10:30 so I texted her to tell her to pick me up from Brady’s.

“Really? What kind?” he asked.

“Something inexpensive. My dad thinks I should get a Honda or Nissan because apparently they last forever,” I explained.

“Good for you. Having your own car will definitely give you a sense of freedom.”

“Exactly.”

I got up and showered then Brady and I made out with me in just a towel for a while. Just when things started to get heated, my phone started ringing. It was Kendra – probably letting me know that she was waiting outside.

I reluctantly told Brady that I had to go and started getting ready while he watched me. I knew he was checking me out so I got dressed kind of slowly. Maybe I am a little bit of a tease.

“We’re probably going to go out and drink tonight if you want to come,” Brady said as I was leaving.

“Duh,” I replied.

“I don’t even know why I asked. I’ll see you later.”

We went out to the suburbs to a Nissan dealership and I test drove a brand new Altima and it was really nice. I started talking to the salesman and discovered that none of the Altimas they had in stock had exactly what I wanted (pearl white, charcoal leather interior, sunroof, etc) and they wouldn’t be getting the new model for another month or so.

“You mean to tell me that you can’t, like, call another Nissan dealership and see if they have it?” I argued. It made sense to me.

He explained that doing that would cost me more money and he was trying to help me save. Whatever. I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it. I told him to call around and find me the car. Kendra, Preston and I walked around while he made some phone calls and ended up right next door at a luxury car dealership.

The salesman approached us and asked what we were looking for and I told him what happened at Nissan. I described to him all the features I wanted and how they didn’t have it in stock.

“You know what, I believe we have what you’re looking for,” he said. He led us down a row of shiny BMWs and stopped in front of a beautiful black sporty looking car. He insisted I get in and drive it.

Long story short, I went home with a brand new BMW 4 Series coupe instead of the Altima. It turned out to be (only) $20,000 more than the Nissan so I paid half down then financed the rest. That way I have some money left over. The monthly payment is reasonable however they made me get insurance before I could take my new car home. Let’s just say my insurance payment could buy me an extra pair of designer shoes each month.

While I was signing my paperwork Kendra said, “Reese, this is not even what you came to buy.”

Preston and I got lunch then went to go look at outfit options for my birthday. We didn’t end up finding anything except a pair of Loubs. They were a little out of my price range given how much I’d spent on my car, but it’s my birthday so whatever.

My dad called twice, but I didn’t answer because I knew he would want to know what happened at the dealership. I don’t know how I’m going to tell him I got an almost $50,000 car.

Preston, Kendra and Carly came over to get ready for the night. We pregamed then took the el to the bars. I got a text on the way there from Derrick, asking what I would be doing that night and I let him know where we were headed. He didn’t respond right away so I figured he was probably out having fun with his friends.

Brady and Chris were already out so we met up with them at the bar. They were with their two friends, Dan and Jacob and Jacob’s girlfriend, Stacey.

Drunk Brady swept me up in his arms and kissed me then ordered us all shots. We moved down to the end of the bar and I told him all about my day. We talked drunkly for a while then Kendra dragged me to the bathroom.

Does anyone else always make a ton of friends in the bar bathroom? Kendra and I met some girls and we spent twenty minutes in there talking to them and taking pictures for Instagram.

On our way back to the bar, we passed the door just as Derrick and one of his friends walked in.

“Reese!” he called as if I hadn’t seen him.

“Oh my gosh, hi!” I waved.

He rushed over and pulled me into a hug and then suddenly noticed Kendra standing with me. “Wow, hey Kendra. It’s been a while, huh?”

She nodded and they hugged too. He introduced us to his friend from work. The four of us talked for a few minutes then Derrick suggested we go to the bar to get drinks.

“Oh gosh, yeah! Come on, meet my friends!” I exclaimed.

I led the group through the throng of people toward the bar. Derrick was on my heels trying to keep up with me and I heard him say, “Reese, you look gorgeous,” or something like that.

I thanked him quickly just as we reached the bar where everyone was hanging out.

“There you are,” Brady said to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. Then he kissed me on the cheek.

“This is my friend from college, Derrick,” I said introducing the two.

Derrick looked from Brady to me and back and seemed to be putting the clues together that we might have something going on.

Brady introduced himself then the two of them shook hands. He ordered shots for me, him and Derrick which I thought was very nice and polite. Brady and Derrick started talking and I danced over to Preston.

“Who is this little cutie you found?” he whispered in my ear.

“Derrick! I went to college with him!” I said back.

“Top or bottom?” Preston asked.

I swatted him playfully. “He’s not gay, Preston!”

“Hmm. Too bad.”

Derrick appeared behind me just then and I said hi.

“Do you remember when you guys used to make those SoCo lime cookies?” he asked, referring to something my old roommates and I used to do.

“Yeah,” I said back, smiling. “I forgot how to make those now.”

“We had some good times, right?” Derrick put his hand on the bar behind me and leaning close. Wait. Was it not obvious that Brady and I are a thing? Why was Derrick still trying this?

“My birthday is next weekend. We’re going to dinner and drinking and you’re welcome to come,” I blurted out.

“Is what’s-his-name going to be there?” Derrick asked, jabbing his thumb in the general direction of where Brady and Chris were standing on the other side of the bar.

“Well duh. He’s like my boyfriend,” I said. Surprisingly I didn’t choke on the word “boyfriend” so maybe it is real.

Derrick looked crushed. “Really? You have a boyfriend?”

I nodded. “Is that hard to believe?”

“I mean, I don’t know. You spent your entire college career chasing a guy who didn’t want you.”

Even though I knew it was kind of true, his words stung.

“This isn’t one of those situations again is it?” he contined on.

I blinked back what felt like tears. “Uh, no. I told you that I’m more mature now. I’ve learned from that.”

“Okay. It just sucks seeing you go after these idiot guys when I know you deserve better.”

“Brady is not an idiot,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Maybe he’s not, but you have to admit you’re not the best at picking guys, right? Have you ever had a relationship that worked?”

I didn’t say anything.

“No. Because you’re going after the wrong guys. And not looking at what’s in front of you.”

Suddenly, I was enraged. “For your fucking information, I go after really great guys. Maybe I’m the one who can’t commit. Have you ever thought of that?”

Derrick started to say something, but I cut him off.

“No you haven’t! Because you’re just so concerned with the fact that I’m not interested in you!” I was getting louder.

“Maybe I am. But you haven’t even given me a chance…”

“Yes I have. Did you forget the night we got drunk and you spent the night and you couldn’t get it up?”

Color rose up Derrick’s neck. “I was drunk.”

“Drunk? Or impotent?” I said really loudly. Kendra saw what was unfolding and came to stand next to me.

Kendra physically dragged me away and took me to the bathroom. Drunk Reese immediately collapsed on the nasty ass bathroom floor and burst into tears.

“Reese,” Kendra said, exasperated. “Get up.”

“Honestly, Kendra. Derrick and I were so close in college,” I sobbed.

“I know.”

“Did you even hear what he said to me? He’s so fucking mean!”

Kendra didn’t say anything and I continued to sit there crying.

“Reese,” she said finally. “Get the fuck up.”

She pulled me to my feet by my armpits. I sulked to the mirror and checked my makeup to make sure I looked okay even though I was ready to leave. My night was ruined. When we walked out of the bathroom, Brady was standing there waiting.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned.

I couldn’t help throwing my arms around him. “I want to leave!”

“Okay. We can leave,” Brady said.

He and Kendra went back to the bar so he could pay the tab and I waited by the door. I didn’t even say goodbye to my friends because I didn’t want to risk seeing Derrick again. Brady came back and we took a cab home.

Back at the duplex, Brady and I went to his room and I immediately got undressed.

“Sure you’re okay?” Brady asked as he took off his shirt.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed in just my underwear. “I’m great.”

He walked toward me and I got up and pushed him back on the bed. I climbed on him and started kissing him until I could feel that he was getting excited. Then I went down and hastily unbuckled his jeans and pulled them down. I immediately started blowing him and he was obviously pleasantly surprised by how quickly things were moving. Brady was moaning “Oh my God” and gripping the sheets around us hard.

I got up and started to climb on top of him, but he said, “Wait.”

My panties were already off and I had full intention on hopping right on his dick and riding him into the sunset. What could he possibly want me to wait for? “Huh?”

“I don’t…have anything,” he said.

It took me a second to comprehend that “anything” meant condoms. How had we used them all? It wasn’t until later when I was completely sober that I started doing some math. We’d had sex four times total and Trojan makes three count boxes and ten count boxes, but not four. So there were at least six condoms that were unaccounted for. Who had Brady been having sex with?! Furthermore, why wouldn’t he think to get more before I came over?

“It’s okay, I’m on the pill,” I said quickly and started riding him before he could object. I didn’t add that sometimes I forget to take it.

Brady didn’t even bother trying to keep his eyes open and let me keep going until he was about to come then he pulled me off. If I’m already on birth control, what is pulling out going to help? I mean, not to be naive/gross.

And by the way, Derrick hasn’t even reached out to me since last night so that just shows how much he really cares.

Diana called me into her office on Wednesday afternoon. She wanted to talk about some of the projects I’ve been working on and discuss the bonuses I would be receiving.

“I’m really happy with the way you handled things with Martin and his team. I would like to reward you with an initial bonus, not including the additional bonus you’ll get from sales,” Diana said.

“Okay,” I replied, hoping my eyes hadn’t turned into dollar signs.

She told me what I would be receiving from the flash sale website deal and the sales from the batik bohemian line and I couldn’t even stop myself from grinning. The total of the two was almost half my yearly salary. I could buy an entire new designer fall wardrobe. I could get a Birkin bag.

But then I started thinking rationally. I could get a nice, new modest little car. That’s what I decided I would do. It was definitely overdue. Plus I’m sick of relying on friends and the CTA to get places. My decision was validated when I left the office to go meet Kendra for happy hour and got hit on four times while walking to and from the L stop. Can’t a girl walk in peace?

“So you finally did it,” Kendra said as soon as I sat down. She didn’t even say hi or ask how I was.

“Yes. I think I’ve waited long enough,” I replied, scanning the menu. I didn’t make eye contact so I couldn’t see what disapproving face she was giving me.

“Well at least he’s your boyfriend now,” she said.

I almost choked and looked up at her. And then I remembered what Brady said on Saturday. I completely forgot about that. Suddenly I didn’t want to talk about myself anymore (can you even believe that?!).

“What if he proposes?” I asked. That’s immediately what I thought of when she said getaway.

She waved that idea away. “He’s not. That won’t happen for another year or two.”

We finished our drinks and I went home and started researching cars. I called my dad for help and he told me that the Nissan Altima is a wonderful car and started emailing me pictures and links comparing it to Hondas and Toyotas. I decided the coupe would be most suitable for my lifestyle and I would get the classic pearl white with charcoal leather interior.

I texted Kendra and Preston telling them to clear their schedules Saturday morning so they could go with me to look at cars. I am so excited!

Brady swung by and got me on his way home from work. When we got to his place we went directly to his room because it was already close to 10:00. Everything felt very normal between us – Brady was using words I didn’t understand and speaking in complete sentences – so I’m glad sex hasn’t changed anything. Yet. Brady went to shower and I changed and waited in bed.

Derrick texted me saying, “Dinner tomorrow?”

We’d been texting the past few days, but this was his first attempt at hanging out again. I can’t remember if Derrick was super flirty in college, but he sure is now. And since I think I kind of have a boyfriend, I knew I needed to draw the line.

“Sorry, busy,” I replied.

“Damn. Friday then?”

I didn’t get a chance to respond because Brady came out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked to his dresser to get clothes to put on and I couldn’t help watching and drooling the entire time. Clearly he was doing it on purpose. He went back in the bathroom and changed then came back out, turned off the light and joined me in the bed.

We started kissing and Brady took off my shirt. He’s normally so proper and tightly wound, but now when we’re intimate he’s so smooth. He’s obviously comfortable with me now. If he wasn’t Brady, I would think he was some sort of suave player who’s been with a ton of girls. But I know that can’t be true.

I decided that Brady deserved a life changing blow job. I climbed on top of him, kissed his neck, then started working my way down his body. I reached his black shorts and stuck my fingers in the waistband and pulled them down. Before, I didn’t get a chance to fully see his penis because my eyes were closed. But as soon as I pulled his shorts down, his boner sprung out at me. With the light coming in his large window, I could see the whole thing – it was statuesque and so much larger than I expected from Brady. It was so beautiful and perfect I thought I was going to cry. Even his pubes were tame and shaped.

I took the whole thing in my mouth and started sucking and Brady let out the most adorable little moan. I love having the power to do that to guys. I continued until I felt his body tense up and I could tell he was about to come. I abruptly got up and finished taking my clothes off.

I looked at Brady and he was looking up at me, pained. I climbed back on top of him and when he realized what I was doing he hastily reached into his nightstand and found a condom. He barely had a chance to put it on before I jumped on and started riding him. Brady grabbed my hips and held on.

His eyes were half shut, but I at least appreciated that he was attempting to keep them open and maintain eye contact with me. Not just my body.

“Reese…” he said, breathlessly, and my name lingered on his lips like he was going to say something else.

I didn’t say anything back and kept going until I was on the brink of orgasm. I started crying out and Brady started forcefully bouncing me up and down on him harder. It’s the most aggressive I’ve seen him ever. And it was so hot. I came and he kept bouncing me until he was done.

I was exhausted. I climbed off and Brady immediately pulled me close, snuggling me.

On Tuesday, I decided that Brady and I were going to have sex once and for all. I texted him that morning saying that we should hang out and he told me that I could come over around 8:00 PM. Perfect.

I stayed at the office later to distract myself and then went home, showered, and put on a tight tank top and shorts with no bra or panties. I made sure to pack a few overnight essentials in my purse.

Brady came to get me and I immediately noticed him checking out my chest. This was going to be easier than I thought. When we got to his place, Chris was in the kitchen and the three of us had a beer and talked for like twenty minutes. Then Chris said he was going to watch tv in the basement and I couldn’t wait to get Brady alone.

Except he pulled out his laptop and said he wanted to work on something quickly but it wouldn’t take long. While he sat at the end of the dining room table, I plopped on the table near him and waited patiently. Well, for ten minutes I did. Then I started getting antsy.

“I thought you said it was going to be quick,” I whined.

“It is,” Brady said, not looking up from his laptop. “Just give me a few more minutes.”

“Fine, I’ll just fucking sit here,” I pouted.

Brady glanced up at me and did kind of a double take. At first I thought he was annoyed with me for sitting on his table, but then a little smile formed on his lips.

He stood up and said, “Did you have something else in mind?”

I shrugged as Brady started walking toward me. My heart began racing.

“Anything else. I’m bored,” I said.

“Bored?” he repeated, stopping in front of me. My legs were dangling off the table and he grabbed them and put them around his waist.

I nodded.

“Well, what do you suggest?”

Sick of the games, I snatched him by his tie and kissed him hard. Brady dropped a hand to the table to stop us from falling then used his other hand to reach under my tank top. Finally. That’s how it’s done, Brady!

He pushed my top up exposing my boobs and leaned down to take one into his mouth. It felt so good that I couldn’t help letting out a little moan. I pushed him off for a second, but only so I could unbuckle his belt. Brady unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and let them fall so he was standing there in red Ralph Lauren boxers. So freaking cute.

He yanked my shorts off so I was basically sitting on his dining table naked. We were both panting and Brady said, “Hang on.”

I started to whine until I realized that he was rummaging through his pants trying to find a condom. He always thinks so rationally. The last thing that was on my mind was a damn condom.

Brady finally found it and I waited with my eyes closed while he put it on. I felt him wrap his arm around my waist and pull me to the edge of the table and then super, super, super slowly enter me. Like I could feel every inch going in until he completely filled me up. And it felt like heaven.

“You don’t have to be gentle with me,” I whispered.

“No?”

I opened my eyes and looked at him, his jaw tight and eyes intense and fiery. I shook my head. Brady picked up the pace and I legitimately felt like I was in love with him. It was so worth the wait. I started moaning louder and Brady told me to shh. It occurred to me that we were still in the dining room and Chris could come upstairs at any moment. Plus the patio blinds were wide open. All of this made it so much better.

I was literally crying out Brady’s name and he stuck a finger in my mouth to silence me. He bowed his head and planted a light kiss on my clavicle and it sent me over the edge. My legs started trembling and Brady must have sensed what was happening and sped up. He groaned into my neck just as I was finishing. We came in unison? I’m pretty sure that has never happened to me.

Brady put both hands on the table and rested for a second then got up and started pulling his pants up. I couldn’t believe what just happened. And the fact that I was naked on his dining room table was just so bizarre and random, but so hot. Brady may be a little nerdy, but the man knows how to get down.

I got off the table and pulled my shorts back on then Brady turned to me.

“Are you hungry?” Even though his face was a little flushed and his shirt was wrinkled and untucked, he still had that calm and rigid demeanor.

Lol, hungry? I just shrugged. We heard Chris running up the stairs and I panicked. Did he hear us? Would he be able to tell what just happened? Brady looked a little disheveled and I probably looked worse.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I said quickly and scurried out of there. I went to the bathroom attached to Brady’s room and peed then looked at myself in the mirror. My makeup was a little bit streaky but I had that after sex glow. Seriously, I need MAC to bottle this look so I can buy it.

I washed my face, changed into sleeping clothes and got in bed. I sent out a mass text to my friends that said, “Brady just fucked me and it was totally worth the wait!”

Preston texted back, “Congrats doll. So you devirginized him?”

“He wasn’t a virgin. In fact, he was actually really good. I came in record time,” I replied.

Kendra said, “Tell me all about it at happy hour tomorrow.”

I heard Brady walk in and immediately threw my phone down because I felt guilty about telling everyone.

“Are you in bed already?” he asked.

“Mmhm, do you want to join me?”

“Give me a second.” Brady changed into a pair of shorts, used the bathroom then came out and got in the bed next to me. I wondered if he would want to go for round two.

I made Kendra and Preston go to dinner with me on Monday so we could discuss birthday plans. It’s my twenty fifth birthday and between work and trying to make Brady fall in love with me, I haven’t had a chance to plan the extravagant ball I’ve always envisioned. Oh well. As long as I get to drink and wear a pretty dress I don’t care what we do.

“Let’s just have dinner and get drunk,” Preston said.

“John and I are going out of town. It’s Labor Day weekend,” Kendra said.

“Quit being dramatic. We can get drunk anytime. And I’ll give you your gift beforehand.”

I couldn’t help smiling at her mentioning a gift.

“You know what size shoe I wear, right?”

Kendra rolled her eyes. “Yes, Reese.”

“So I’ll find a restaurant and make reservations. And I have the perfect place we can go afterwards,” Preston said. “You just show up looking like a vixen!”

I told them that I think I have a boyfriend and explained what happened on Saturday night.

“Wow, you haven’t had a boyfriend since-” Kendra started.

“Don’t say his name,” I warned.

She said his name.

“Ugh. I don’t want to even think about him,” I sighed.

“It’s okay. We all have that one person where we’re like ‘what the fuck was I thinking?!'”

“That’s the thing. I know exactly what I was thinking. You guys didn’t get to see the real him. He was hot and funny and flirty and sweet. I like, loved him.”

“Yeah, too bad every girl in school felt the same way.”

Kendra was trying to be funny, but I didn’t laugh. He and I had the most ridiculous “relationship.” It was like my thing with Eric, but for months and months on end. And I was less mature and drank more back then so you can imagine the kinds of scenes I caused on campus. How fucking embarrassing.

Of course. Because I was the one making mistakes, not my unfaithful “boyfriend.”

Kendra took me home after dinner and then Brady called. He had just gotten off work and I invited him over. I wondered if tonight was the night. I showered and put on a matching La Perla set just in case.

“Hi, how are you?” I said, letting him in.

“I’m exhausted. You look very nice,” Brady said and hugged me.

I looked down at myself. I was wearing a tank top and jorts, but maybe he could tell I had cute lingerie on underneath. I grabbed us waters and joined him on my couch.

“What happened today?” I asked.

He explained that he had spent the day running around trying to fix a patient complaint that was brought on by one of his colleagues. While he didn’t specifically call anyone out or place the blame, it was the first time I’d seen Brady kind of complain. And the little stress wrinkle in his forehead was so cute.

“But you worked everything out, right?” I asked, tugging at his tie.

“Yeah, of course. It was just a long process,” he said.

I started untying his tie, hoping he would get the hint. “You poor thing.”

“How was your day?” he asked.

“It was okay. Let’s go to my room.” I grabbed his hand and dragged him to my room. I got on the bed and Brady followed, pushing me back with his body so we were laying side by side.

We started kissing and he made his way down to my neck. His hand was positioned on my waist just below my boob and it felt like he was afraid to even touch me. Like, just grab my tit. You’ve already made out with my vagina so why not?

I got his shirt off and then reached down for his pants.

“Hey,” Brady said, pulling away slightly. “I’m kind of tired.”

I stopped and looked at him. He did look tired, but seriously? He was so tired that he didn’t want to hook up with me?

“Okay,” I said shortly and got out of bed.

I was so irritated that I went to the kitchen and dug the pack of birthday cake Oreos out of the back of my cabinet and wolfed two down. Then two more for good measure. I was completely at a loss as to why this keeps happening. But then I started thinking about how Brady told me he was exhausted and the story of his day. But still. Wouldn’t sex make it so much better? Whatever. I decided to offer him some Oreos before he went home.

Except he was already sleeping by the time I got back to my room. So maybe he really was tired.

I spent the night with Brady on Friday night (literally nothing happened) and he insisted we go for that run on Saturday morning. This is exactly what I meant by I don’t know how long I can fake it. I’m not a runner. I don’t like running and definitely not at 8:00 AM when I just want to snuggle in bed.

Brady took me home after that because I looked and felt disgusting. He told me he would come pick me up at 6:30 PM for the charity event.

I got lunch with Preston then we got pedicures and he waited while I got a trim. He said that he and Mr. Murphy went and looked at cars last week and he has his eyes on a Jeep. I wonder when Brady and I can go look at cars. I’m definitely ready for a new one.

I did a light smokey eye for the event with a matte red lip and I was surprisingly 100% ready by the time Brady came to get me. I got out of the elevator and walked through my sprawling apartment lobby.

“Looking good, Reese! Hot date?” Frank, my doorman, called.

I smiled. “I suppose.”

Brady was parked illegally in the alley next to my building and was waiting outside his car for me.

When he saw me, he broke into a warm smile. “Wow.”

Brady looked really, really good in a tailored charcoal suit and black bow tie. We didn’t even plan it, but we were totally matching. Soulmates, I tell ya.

He kissed me on the cheek – probably because my red lips scared him – and opened the passenger door for me. The gala was held at a hotel not far from my apartment, in the ballroom on the 80th floor. There was a stage in the back of the room then a ton of circular tables with black tablecloths on them and rose centerpieces. Everyone was walking around the back half of the ballroom mingling and there were waiters running around with what looked like trays of champagne. I immediately snagged one from a passing waiter.

“Well, this is nice,” I said, sipping my champs.

“Yeah, the hospital does it every year. It’s proven to be quite successful, I believe last year we were able to bring in almost $100,000 for the hospital,” Brady said.

“That’s amazing.” My champagne flute was now empty. Luckily there was a waiter nearby and I grabbed another one.

“How is it physically possible to not get lipstick all over the glass?” Brady asked.

I smiled and started to say, “Magic,” but a blonde girl was rapidly approaching us.

“Hi, Brady!” she sang loudly and threw her arms around him.

When they pulled apart, Brady said, “Reese, this is-”

And before he could finish his sentence, Blondie said, “Jessica,” and stuck out her hand for me to shake. I shook her hand like a professional adult and she gave me one of those limp princess handshakes.

I gave Jessica the once over. She stood at about Brady’s height so she was a few inches taller than me. She wore a cobalt blue midi dress that hugged her curves perfectly without being too Kim Kardash and dainty nude colored heels. I didn’t see her stop smiling once, but it was almost a condescending smile. I couldn’t put my finger on it. She looked like your stereotypical contestant on The Bachelor. I automatically hated her.

“Jessica is one of the nurses at the hospital,” Brady explained.

“We do our rounds together sometimes,” Jessica continued.

“That’s fascinating,” I murmured.

“Wow Brady, I had no idea you had a girlfriend,” Jessica said with her smile still plastered on her face.

I quickly brought the champagne flute to my lips.

“Ummm…” Brady started and paused for an unnaturally long time. I couldn’t wait to see how he was going to handle this. I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“She was nice,” I said once she walked away. I sensed something between Brady and Jessica and I wanted the deets.

Brady didn’t give anything away. He just said, “She is. It is nice to have someone to talk to at work.”

I met Brady’s immediate boss, his boss’s boss and other important people from the hospital. It seemed like the champagne was never ending and it got to the point where the servers were handing me full glasses. Lol thanks.

There was dinner and some speakers which was boring. I kept rubbing Brady’s leg with my foot and he would glance over smiling, but looking confused. Ugh, hasn’t he ever heard of playing footsie? After dinner, a live band starting playing so people could dance. I was drunk but not drunk enough to dance. I did however want to get out of there to hook up with Brady. I was horny and he looked so damn hot in that suit.

I waited while he stood talking to some coworkers and discreetly took some pictures for SnapChat. Finally, Brady turned to me and said he was getting tired.

“Me too,” I said with a smirk, hoping he caught my drift.

He said goodbye to everyone (including Jessica who insisted they hug again).

“So nice meeting you!” she smiled big at me, but I couldn’t help being annoyed with her.

Out in the hallway leading to the lobby, Brady stopped to use the restroom. I waited outside the door and texted Kendra that I planned on hooking up with Brady tonight. And then I got a brilliant idea.

As soon as I heard the bathroom door open, I pushed Brady back in and locked the door behind me.

“Wha-” he started, but I started kissing him. I wanted to hook up with him – now – in the bathroom. It would be so scandalous and risky. It was the perfect setting for our first time.

He tried to say something again, but I kissed him harder and pushed his suit jacket off so it was hanging off his arms. Brady was rigid, but he was returning my kiss so I thought he was into it. I made my way down to his belt and started undoing it. He started trying to push me away, but he was being way too gentle for Drunk Reese.

“Reese,” Brady said, pulling away. He was pinned against the sink so he couldn’t go anywhere.

“Let’s have sex,” I said with a sneaky smile.

“Reese, no,” Brady said, pushing my hands away from his pants. I took this opportunity to try to get his suit jacket the rest of the way off.

“Live a little,” I continued on.

Every time I would try to take off a piece of his clothing he would say stop very nicely which obviously doesn’t mean anything to Drunk Reese. Finally, he grabbed both of my wrists and roughly yanked them down in front of me.

“Reese, stop!” he said in a loud stern voice. The usual Drunk Reese wouldn’t have liked being almost-yelled at, but I was actually turned on by his assertiveness. I broke into a sly smile. Okay. We could wait until we got to his house.

We filed out of the bathroom and rode in silence to his place. He was obviously annoyed with me, but at least he didn’t immediately take me home, I reasoned with myself.

We got to his room and he went into the attached bathroom while I took off my dress and bra and changed into one of his t-shirts. I really need to start packing clothes in my purse (although I’m not sure they would’ve fit in my clutch last night).

I sat at the foot of the bed waiting for him to come out from the bathroom. I was thinking he would probably want to go to sleep right away since he seemed to be irritated with me.

Brady finally came out of the bathroom – he had taken off everything except his undershirt and slacks. I couldn’t read the look on his face. We made eye contact and he watched me while he crossed the bedroom and slowly made a beeline for me. It was an intense moment, almost creepy, and I thought he was going to kill me or something. I gave him my most innocent smile hoping he would spare my life.

He stopped in front of me and kneeled down. I was confused and scared because I don’t know what Brady is capable of. And then he slid off my thong and put one of my legs over his shoulder. I had no choice but lean back on the bed and before I knew it, he was eating my vagina so good that I couldn’t see straight. I mean, this man knew exactly what he was doing. It wasn’t like he was just licking and sucking aimlessly, he had perfected the art of eating pussy. I’ve heard that when you enjoy performing oral your partner can tell, and I could definitely tell he was enjoying making me squirm like that.

I came in under ten minutes which I don’t think has ever happened before. I don’t know what I did to deserve that but I wasn’t complaining. Brady stood up and looked at me. I thought for sure this was it. We were finally going to have sex and I couldn’t fucking wait. If he could do that with his mouth, imagine what else he could do.

He walked away and started getting undressed and I mentally prepared myself for what was about to happen. I watched Brady take off his shirt and change into a pair of shorts. Then he walked back to the bed and started pulling the comforter and sheets back.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he said. It was the first time either of us had said anything for at least half an hour.

So we weren’t hooking up? I nodded and crawled under the blankets. Brady climbed in after me and we laid there looking at each other. I kissed him lightly.

At first I didn’t know what he was referring to and almost told him that Jessica is weird all around. And then I remembered her “girlfriend” comment.

“No,” I said. “Not at all.”

“Okay.”

Brady pulled me closer and that was it. Was that our DTR? Do I have a boyfriend?

We woke up and had cereal then watched tv for a little while. I couldn’t stop thinking about the night before and how much I had underestimated him. How could Anna ever let him go? I want to marry him and we still haven’t even had intercourse yet.

No one was available for happy hour on Wednesday so I sat at home texting Brady and drinking wine. I realized that my birthday is in two weeks so everyone needs to be fucking available to party with me.

On Thursday we had a little office party to say goodbye to the summer interns. Diana ordered in cupcakes from Sprinkles and called everyone to the break room. She gave some speech about how helpful they were and blah blah blah and announced that we would be hiring one of them full time when he graduates in December.

I grabbed a cupcake and went to the privacy of my office to scarf it down. I checked my phone and saw that I had a new text message from BJ. I almost vommed.

The message said, “Hey, it’s my last weekend in Chicago before I go back to Georgia. Do you want to grab a drink or something?”

I couldn’t believe the nerve of this kid. I started drafting a scathing message back, telling him what an immature prick I think he is. But then I thought of Brady. If Brady knew the situation he would tell me to be mature and take the high road. I’m almost twenty five and I’m a director. What would bitching out BJ help? He was leaving anyway. I decided not to respond at all.

After work, I went to Nordstrom to settle the dress situation and ended up getting a dress, earrings, and two pairs of boots for fall/winter. I texted Brady saying that if he got off at a decent time, did he want to come over? I started watching tv and had almost fallen asleep when he responded, “I can be there in 45 mins.”

I jumped up happily, showered and put on something comfortable. I get way more excited to hang out with Brady than I have with any other guy in a long time. I think it’s because he makes me actually use my brain and doesn’t try to immediately get in my pants (although I kind of wish he would).

Brady and I had wine and talked about our days. He mentioned the charity event on Saturday just briefly which I think is weird because we haven’t talked about it since he asked me. Are we even still going together?

We decided to go out to grab a few drinks at a place not too far from my apartment. Well, a few drinks turned into a few more and some shots. Typical Thursday night. I knew that Brady was getting drunk when he started kissing my neck right in the middle of the bar. It was funny, but it only made me want to screw him that much more. We decided to get out of there and Brady left a really generous $80 tip for the bartender.

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” I asked on our way to the parking lot.

Brady shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you want to drive?”

I didn’t say anything and he tossed me the keys. He obviously doesn’t know my driving history, but he was way drunker than I was. I found his car in the parking garage and said a silent prayer before pulling off. The last thing I need is to wreck Brady’s beautiful car. He would never want me if I did that and couldn’t afford to buy him a new one.

We made it back to my apartment in one piece and after driving Brady’s Audi I decided that I’m ready for a new car. I will start looking for something modest soon.

We got inside and ended up making out on my bed in the complete darkness. All of our clothes were still on and I started to think maybe Brady wasn’t going to try anything with me since I had turned him down twice. He moved down to my neck and said, “I want you,” flat out.

But he made no moves to show it. I was completely open to having sex and let Brady know it. I ran my hands under his shirt and tugged at his belt. There were only so many clues I could give him without physically ripping his clothes off and doing him.

Eventually, we grew tired and fell asleep. We were woken up by Brady’s alarm at some insane hour and it was still dark outside. Surprisingly Brady was able to get out of bed and become alert immediately and get ready to leave.

“I would like you to come over later. You can stay the night and we can run tomorrow morning,” he said, leaning down to me in bed.

I couldn’t help smiling. I don’t want to run, but it’s cute that Brady is trying to plan things.

I was having so much fun hanging out with Brady that I forgot that during the week he works twelve to fourteen hours a day and is exhausted by the time he gets off. He has such a large workload that he can’t text a lot either. I needed a distraction and all of my usual friends were busy (Kendra with her new position at work, Preston with Mr. Murphy and Carly with Chris) so I had dinner and drinks with my college friend, Derrick, on Monday night.

This is going to sound weird, but I can’t really be friends with guys (straight guys anyway. I love my gays). Whenever I’ve had a guy friend, we started off fine as friends then end up hooking up or one of us starts getting feelings for the other. I think it’s because I don’t know how to talk to guys without being flirty. [does anyone else have this problem?]

Derrick had a big crush on me our sophomore year of college and I used to flirt with him just because I thought it was fun(ny). We ended up getting drunk and fooling around then ultimately decided we were better as friends. Obviously. He became one of my favorite drinking buddies though.

We met for sushi. He works in advertising here in the city so we talked about work a lot. We also talked about our college friends, most of whom I haven’t seen since we graduated so there was a lot to talk about. Derrick is one of those people you can not see for years but feel like no time has passed. He kind of gives off a Jake Gyllenhaal vibe, but cuter.

“You’ve really grown up a lot since college. It’s crazy, you used to be such a party girl and now you’re a mature woman,” Derrick said once the night was winding down.

“Well, that was over two years ago,” I pointed out. “And don’t call say ‘mature woman.’ Makes me sounds like a grandma.”

“Stop that. You don’t look like a grandma. In fact, I think you’ve grown into your looks.”

I swatted him in the chest playfully. “Don’t be mean!”

“I’m not. You look great, honestly.”

He insisted on paying for everything then we headed outside.

“Let’s do this again, Reese,” Derrick said once we got outside. He put an arm around me and leaned down to kiss me, but I quickly turned my head so he caught my cheek/ear.

“Yeah, whatever,” I said.

We agreed that we would hang out again soon. I hope Derrick isn’t going to try this again because I’m not interested in him romantically whatsoever.

I left work early on Tuesday so I could meet Preston at Barney’s to look at dresses. We ended up spending two and a half hours in the dress department, trying on every single thing. The salesgirl kept trying to help us (probably to prevent the huge mess we would leave), but Preston told her that I’m an actress and he’s my personal stylist so we had it under control. She stopped bothering us luckily, but I didn’t even pick anything out.

We went back to my apartment afterwards and started watching reruns of Chopped. I got a text from Brady around 7:30 saying that he had just gotten off and did I want to meet up. I didn’t even blink before responding, “Sure. You can come over.”

“Preston, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Brady’s coming over,” I said, getting up.

“Pardon me?” he gasped. “You’re kicking me out?”

“Yes. Doesn’t Mr. Murphy have a day trip to Jamaica or something planned?”

“No, but we’re probably going to have a ton of wild sex though. Jelly?”

I was jelly. I can’t wait for the day when Brady and I can have a ton of wild sex (is he even into wild sex? I bet he isn’t).

As soon as Preston left, I tidied up a bit. I threw out the copies of Cosmo I had on my coffee table and replaced them with an old marketing textbook from college, a leadership book I had to read for work and the Fifty Shades trilogy (the books are awful, but they’re all I had on hand and I wanted to show Brady that I actually read).

When he got to my apartment I buzzed him in and waited for him to knock. A few minutes later there was a light, almost timid knock on the door. Of course Brady would knock shyly. I opened the door and he was standing there looking a-freaking-dorable in his dress clothes.

“Come in,” I said, opening the door wider.

Brady walked in and said, “I’ve never been up here. Pretty cool place.”

“Thanks, it’s a little small, but it works,” I said.

I showed him the kitchen, the little dining area, my bedroom, the bathroom then concluded with the living room.

“This is sufficient for one person. And I’m sure the location makes it worth it,” Brady said.

I grabbed us bottles of water and we sat on the couch talking. I asked him to tell me about work since he’s there so much. He explained having to do rounds and see all the patients, including the terminally ill ones which I think is sad. He said he has to walk a ton which is tiring and then since there are sick people the hospital is warm so he’s hot in his work clothes and lab coat all day. Poor guy. He said seeing the patients get better is worthwhile so overall he loves what he does. It made me feel like my job is pretty pointless because ultimately, who am I helping?

“You need a massage,” I told him, getting up. I gestured for him to follow me into the bedroom. “Take off your shirt and lay on the bed.”

“Wow, you mean business,” Brady said, untying his tie.

I rummaged through my closet to find some unscented lotion. Whenever I used to give my ex-boyfriend massages we would almost immediately have sex. There’s just something erotic about massages so I knew it was risky. But we were both sober and it has been long enough, so maybe tonight was the night. I wasn’t opposed to it.

Brady was laying on his back shirtless looking delectable and even though I was enjoying the view I made him flip over. I climbed on him and planted myself on his butt for optimum massage positioning. I squirted one pump of lotion in my hands, rubbed them together and lightly touched Brady’s back. He instantly relaxed.

I ran my hands along the length of his back and used my palms to apply pressure. I’ve been told that I give great massages, but honestly my little hands get tired after only a few minutes. Since it was my idea, I knew I had to last a little longer with Brady. I continued rubbing and kneading his back for a few more minutes. For a guy, Brady has unusually smooth and perfect skin. I really must find out his skin care routine.

“Better?” I asked once I felt like I had carpal tunnel.

“I feel like a new person,” Brady said. He flipped over so he was on his back and I was sitting on his crotch. My heart instantly started beating faster when I felt that he was hard.

“I’ve been told I give decent massages,” I said.

“I certainly agree with that. Where do I sign up for a once a week session?”

“Ask the receptionist when you leave.”

“Do you want to grab food or something?” Brady asked abruptly and for a moment I couldn’t tell if we were still in character.

I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I said, “Sure,” anyway.

We got up and he put his shirt back on while I changed into jeans and a top. We ended up getting froyo then we walked around my neighborhood for a little while. It was a little bit chilly so after we were done with our froyo, we held hands to warm each other up.

It started to get late and Brady said he needed to be up early for work. He said he might be able to hang out again later this week and he would let me know.